This wrongly translated Chinese proverb produces eyerolls from many who believe it to be a gross exaggeration. They counter by saying that a picture is really worth only a picture. Well, a thousand words are a lot of words, and ten thousand words, which was the actual number in the proverb's literal translation, are a lot more. It’s pretty hard for a single picture to hold up under all that pressure. Still, there is no denying how an image can captivate. Certainly, images add dimension and powerful meaning to text. Illustrations, icons, charts, graphs—the visual world is rich with examples of how these elements summarize or elaborate upon co-existing text, sometimes even replacing the text entirely.
If you look at the toolbar on your computer screen, you’ll see any number of icons that replace words, and most of us (at least those who are computer literate) have no problem comprehending their meaning. Because they are widely understood, icons can be used to great effect in advertising. On the Windows homepage, for example, Microsoft skillfully uses four of their common icons to introduce Windows Vista.
Graphs and charts are frequently used to provide financial data, usually supplementing and clarifying the figures contained on balance sheets and such. But here, on the website of a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization, we find posted a 2005 annual report that uses only pie charts to show revenue and expenses—perfectly appropriate for an audience that may not be interested in scrutinizing all the little financial details. (You’ll find the charts on page 6 of the pdf).
In advertising and for other purposes, illustrations are often used in conjunction with or in lieu of actual photographs of products. Why use a photo of dish soap when an illustration might offer a more interesting visual representation of a common household item? The Skippy website, for example, uses illustrations as well as sound to create a feeling of child-like fun and exuberance. Images such as those on their Trail Mix page would be impossible to create as photos, and they would probably not be as entertaining. Throughout Skippy's website, we have many crayon-like illustrations and also photos and games, all geared for kids (but great for adults, too)! The only pages without images are the more serious ones, i.e., the allergy information and FAQ pages. (There are just a few peanuts on the latter)!
In a world where people are mainly scanning documents or websites for what they need or want, words alone may often be overlooked. Add a great illustration, and you may at least catch their attention and possibly even say a lot more, if not 1000 words. Let’s not get carried away!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Sunday, February 18, 2007
HELLO "NEW" WORLD!
In his skillful video, The Machine is Us/ing Us, Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University, uses Web 2.0 technology to illustrate the potential that Web 2.0 offers. This proves to be an extraordinarily effective technique. The Machine is Us/ing Us was released on YouTube on January 31, 2007, and it quickly went viral, becoming the most popular video in the blogosphere and the #1 video on YouTube on February 7th.
Wesch’s success is not surprising. His video is visually interesting, compelling, thought-provoking, even moving. Though younger viewers may differ with me on this, his choice of music (There’s Nothing Impossible by Deus) was superb, and it imbued the video with emotion, a crescendo of connection and possibility that leads the viewer to consider a number of undeniably important issues. As XML (Extensible Markup Language) ushers in Web 2.0, Wesch posits that we will have to rethink a few things such as copyright, governance, privacy, authorship, rhetorics(?), even family, love and ourselves. (I hate to be picky, but the use of the plural “rhetorics” hints that a little spell-check might be needed)!
From a design perspective, the Wesch video is successful at leading the viewer in precise and gripping fashion from one visual element to the next. The rhythm of the piece, the speedy movement of text on the screen, and the typographical changes that occur are amazingly complex. Some of the feedback on Wesch’s video suggests that different interfaces and desktops environments be represented in the forthcoming final version. Perhaps this is so, though most viewers will find The Machine is Us/ing Us to be effective and memorable just as it is.
Wesch’s success is not surprising. His video is visually interesting, compelling, thought-provoking, even moving. Though younger viewers may differ with me on this, his choice of music (There’s Nothing Impossible by Deus) was superb, and it imbued the video with emotion, a crescendo of connection and possibility that leads the viewer to consider a number of undeniably important issues. As XML (Extensible Markup Language) ushers in Web 2.0, Wesch posits that we will have to rethink a few things such as copyright, governance, privacy, authorship, rhetorics(?), even family, love and ourselves. (I hate to be picky, but the use of the plural “rhetorics” hints that a little spell-check might be needed)!
From a design perspective, the Wesch video is successful at leading the viewer in precise and gripping fashion from one visual element to the next. The rhythm of the piece, the speedy movement of text on the screen, and the typographical changes that occur are amazingly complex. Some of the feedback on Wesch’s video suggests that different interfaces and desktops environments be represented in the forthcoming final version. Perhaps this is so, though most viewers will find The Machine is Us/ing Us to be effective and memorable just as it is.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
TYPOGRAPHY AND THE WEB
Typography is part and parcel of our visual world, allowing us to distinguish CNN from NBC or Taco Bell from McDonald’s. Yet, most people tend to ignore it. The only time people really notice typography is when a composition doesn’t work or they can’t read the type. Technology is changing our relationship to type rather quickly. Anyone who has the right software package can design a typeface and create a layout, though probably not very well.
There are any number of guidelines and standards on typography for print materials, which made me wonder how the rules differ when designing for the Web. It seems there are significant differences, and these are created and complicated by the fact that each line of text, each font and typestyle is recreated by the user’s Web browser, server and computer operating system. Two resources on the Web offer a logical presentation of issues to consider when designing for the Web: Access by Design and Webstyle Guide. Here are a few basics that relate specifically to typography:
There are any number of guidelines and standards on typography for print materials, which made me wonder how the rules differ when designing for the Web. It seems there are significant differences, and these are created and complicated by the fact that each line of text, each font and typestyle is recreated by the user’s Web browser, server and computer operating system. Two resources on the Web offer a logical presentation of issues to consider when designing for the Web: Access by Design and Webstyle Guide. Here are a few basics that relate specifically to typography:
- Typefaces are rendered at lower resolution on the Web, and this affects legibility. Times New Roman, considered the most legible typeface for print materials, does not translate well to the screen. Better choices would be Georgia, Verdana, and Trebuchet, all of which come with most operating systems. However, dense text passages are likely to be printed out by the user. If a website builder suspects that users will print out the text, then Times New Roman remains a good choice.
- Left justification of text is safest to reproduce and easiest to read on the Web. Technological issues make it hard to control for excess space and other problems that may arise with full justification, and right justification is simply hard to read. As for headlines, when type is left justified, they should be, too.
- On most Websites, line lengths are too long for easy reading. While restricting line length is complicated by technological issues, a line length of fifty to seventy characters per line remains the ideal.
- As with print materials, the standard combination of upper and lower case characters enhances readability.
- Italics, bold, and underlined and colored text are variations that make it easier for goal-oriented Web users to scan for information. The use of all capitals for this purpose is, not surprisingly, less effective.
Obviously, I’ve just scratched the surface of this issue. There are a tremendous number of resources with variations on the theme. While researching this subject, I came across two interesting tidbits with which I will close this discussion...
Who knew? Helvetica typeface is celebrating its 50th birthday this year with an independent documentary film by Gary Hustwit. The film examines the proliferation of Helvetica in our visual world as part of a larger conversation of our global visual culture and how type affects our lives.
Check out Mark Simonson’s humorous piece, Let’s Talk Type, which he wrote in 1977, but contains a few eternal truths!
Monday, January 29, 2007
SCHOOL VERSUS THE INTERNET
The Internet is a powerful tool for engaging the minds of school-aged children. Students can collaborate on projects, pursue their own interests, gather their own information and communicate inexpensively with peers worldwide. Games, animation and stimulating activities offered by the Internet support the acquisition of math and reading skills and an understanding of science and the natural world.
For teachers, too, the Internet provides access to learning resources and experiences that were heretofore unavailable. Through the Internet, a teacher can interact individually with students and parents, send group messages via Listserv, and provide a personal website with electronic resources and assistance. Ultimately, a teacher may actually be able to give more individual attention to all students by spending less time in meetings, personal conversations, and talking on the telephone.
Does the Internet have it all over school with respect to getting kids to learn? Not really. School-aged children still need the human touch, the guidance and direction of their teachers, and protection from the dangers of the Internet. They also need kinesthetic learning experiences that the Internet cannot provide: participating in science labs, enacting a play, learning a musical instrument.
Still, the Internet has much to offer schools regarding how kids like to learn. Our schools are only at the tip of the iceberg with respect to harnessing the power of the Internet and taking its lessons to heart, i.e., bringing to the curriculum those aspects of the Internet that have made it so compelling for children. In the future, we may well see more self-directed curricula in our schools, with more games, interactive opportunities and other stimulating learning venues for kids.
For teachers, too, the Internet provides access to learning resources and experiences that were heretofore unavailable. Through the Internet, a teacher can interact individually with students and parents, send group messages via Listserv, and provide a personal website with electronic resources and assistance. Ultimately, a teacher may actually be able to give more individual attention to all students by spending less time in meetings, personal conversations, and talking on the telephone.
Does the Internet have it all over school with respect to getting kids to learn? Not really. School-aged children still need the human touch, the guidance and direction of their teachers, and protection from the dangers of the Internet. They also need kinesthetic learning experiences that the Internet cannot provide: participating in science labs, enacting a play, learning a musical instrument.
Still, the Internet has much to offer schools regarding how kids like to learn. Our schools are only at the tip of the iceberg with respect to harnessing the power of the Internet and taking its lessons to heart, i.e., bringing to the curriculum those aspects of the Internet that have made it so compelling for children. In the future, we may well see more self-directed curricula in our schools, with more games, interactive opportunities and other stimulating learning venues for kids.
Monday, January 22, 2007
A TALE OF THREE BLOGS
I am completely new to the world of blogging, and at first blush, I though it a colossal bore—so showy and self-interested. Until this very moment, I scarcely knew who was blogging and why, let alone that corporations had blogs, and used them to reach out to customers and other stakeholders in a personal way. Thus, I examined the blogs of three corporations that I’m actually connected to, i.e., I use their products or services, and these are Dell, Google and Hewlett-Packard (HP). In using this selection criterion, I thought I would feel more vested in the examination process, in determining what’s in it for me. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.
Dell’s blog, http://www.direct2dell.com/, is visually bland, but easily navigable, and encourages consumer feedback. As with Google, http://googleblog.blogspot.com/, and HP, http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs , Dell seeks to position itself as a thought leader, and it shares with HP the intent to receive comments from consumers. Dell has longer initial postings than HP, with an internal Digital Media Manager doing many of them. Dell uses more hypertext than HP, which I didn’t find at all disturbing. If I wasn’t interested, I simply moved on. HP leadership (execs, etc.) have their own blogs, and their entries tend to be shorter—maybe a paragraph rather than a page. All in all, Dell’s blog appears to receive more comments from consumers, and longer ones—sometimes several paragraphs. It’s just a chattier blog, though few pictures and such appear. It’s mainly straight text. HP’s blog contains more visual elements, such as photos, and it resembles a regular website. Ultimately, Dell’s blog gave me the impression that if I said something, they might actually act on it. I didn’t get that feeling quite as strongly from HP, mainly because I would be responding to the company’s higher echelon. Of course, I could be wrong about this. I was pleased to see that HP had a Corporate and Social Responsibility blog, which is authored by their Corporate and Social Responsibility Manager for Asia-Pacific and Japan. Neither Dell nor Google appeared to highlight this issue as prominently and clearly as HP, though Google had plenty of engaging activities on their blog.
This brings me to the Google blog, which is quite different from the other two. Any number of company representatives produce the blog with the purpose of reporting on an activity, an award, a contest, etc. The blog is fairly visually stimulating, with color, pictures, hypertext and such. Though one may respond to a blog, I don’t know if many comments are made in direct response to posted blogs because I couldn’t quite tell where these were housed. Google’s strength, not surprisingly, is serving as an aggregator of other blogs that use their service or discuss them in some way. Their corporate image appears to be fun, friendly, with razzle-dazzle, while Dell and HP are going for a more helpful and responsive image. Obviously, they're all looking to keep their customers and get new ones, but Google may also be looking to add to their staff. There were several mentions of how great a workplace they are.
As for my inital criterion--what's in it for me--I found that the battery in my Dell laptop might have been recalled! It has been acting strangely, so I will certainly be back to Dell. Also, I found it reassuring that I could relate to company reps and other consumers via blog, or at least read about how they might have discovered or solved a problem that I, too, may have.
Dell’s blog, http://www.direct2dell.com/, is visually bland, but easily navigable, and encourages consumer feedback. As with Google, http://googleblog.blogspot.com/, and HP, http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs , Dell seeks to position itself as a thought leader, and it shares with HP the intent to receive comments from consumers. Dell has longer initial postings than HP, with an internal Digital Media Manager doing many of them. Dell uses more hypertext than HP, which I didn’t find at all disturbing. If I wasn’t interested, I simply moved on. HP leadership (execs, etc.) have their own blogs, and their entries tend to be shorter—maybe a paragraph rather than a page. All in all, Dell’s blog appears to receive more comments from consumers, and longer ones—sometimes several paragraphs. It’s just a chattier blog, though few pictures and such appear. It’s mainly straight text. HP’s blog contains more visual elements, such as photos, and it resembles a regular website. Ultimately, Dell’s blog gave me the impression that if I said something, they might actually act on it. I didn’t get that feeling quite as strongly from HP, mainly because I would be responding to the company’s higher echelon. Of course, I could be wrong about this. I was pleased to see that HP had a Corporate and Social Responsibility blog, which is authored by their Corporate and Social Responsibility Manager for Asia-Pacific and Japan. Neither Dell nor Google appeared to highlight this issue as prominently and clearly as HP, though Google had plenty of engaging activities on their blog.
This brings me to the Google blog, which is quite different from the other two. Any number of company representatives produce the blog with the purpose of reporting on an activity, an award, a contest, etc. The blog is fairly visually stimulating, with color, pictures, hypertext and such. Though one may respond to a blog, I don’t know if many comments are made in direct response to posted blogs because I couldn’t quite tell where these were housed. Google’s strength, not surprisingly, is serving as an aggregator of other blogs that use their service or discuss them in some way. Their corporate image appears to be fun, friendly, with razzle-dazzle, while Dell and HP are going for a more helpful and responsive image. Obviously, they're all looking to keep their customers and get new ones, but Google may also be looking to add to their staff. There were several mentions of how great a workplace they are.
As for my inital criterion--what's in it for me--I found that the battery in my Dell laptop might have been recalled! It has been acting strangely, so I will certainly be back to Dell. Also, I found it reassuring that I could relate to company reps and other consumers via blog, or at least read about how they might have discovered or solved a problem that I, too, may have.
MISSION STATEMENT
While this blog will showcase my work as a technical writer, I'd also like to provide a forum for sharing ideas about writing as well as actual works--technical or otherwise. Writers of all kinds who seek to improve their skills and learn new things are welcome! Let's see where we go!
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